Melbourne Reviews

It’s difficult to watch In The Heights without comparing it to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s global sensation that is Hamilton. This is not necessarily a negative. As his first major musical, In the Heights was a breakthrough moment in musical theatre, setting the stage for a new type of musical targeted to a younger and more diverse audience.

Set in Washington Heights, a suburb of Upper Manhattan home to a largely Dominican American community, the story is simple but character-driven. A true ensemble piece, In The Heights is a heartfelt production that plays on themes of family and the family you choose.

Featuring a stellar cast led by Ryan Gonzalez as Usnavi, Gonzalez gives a dynamite performance and takes advantage of his similarities to Miranda in both vocal style and physical appearance. As the returning college student, Nina Rosario, Mariah Gonzalez has an effortless and fully supported voice that is such a delight to listen to. Nina’s love interest, Benny, played by Ngali Shaw, is an energetic bundle of old-school showbiz flair, and the pairing of the two feels like a genuine emotional connection without going into saccharine.

Olivia Vásquez plays the sassy and tough-as-nails Vanessa with glee; she’s a beautiful singer, but her dancing really shines in this production.

Speaking of dancing, Amy Campbell’s choreography is a high-energy affair that makes the most of the Latin beats with the dancers turning up the heat and leaving everything on the stage. In particular, Steve Costi makes a star turn with his hip-hop solo and precision-perfect comic timing as Usnavi’s younger cousin Sonny.

The stakes in this story never feel so high that you’re concerned. As an audience member, you know it’s going to turn out okay, and to be honest, being at ease is, well, easy. There are the obvious similarities to what is currently happening in the United States: issues surrounding immigration, otherness, and a feeling of powerlessness under an autocratic system.

The story never dips too far into the political climate of either the 2000s or now but certainly makes reference to the ongoing issues and stands as a reminder for the continued fight for equality.

As Miranda would later go on to write the American founding father’s musical, Hamilton, he clearly enjoys the wink towards the audience when it comes to political satire, and his penchant for infusing musicals with rapping shines in the score that blends hip-hop, salsa, and soul to create a genre-defying production unlike any other.

The Melbourne season of In The Heights is a joyful night at the theatre; it will make you want to learn Spanish and start salsa dancing lessons, but most of all, it will make you smile.